Lake resorts are a family favorite for good reason: Instagram-worthy views, outdoor fun, nostalgic vibes, and endless activities. Across the U.S., kid-friendly lake hotels offer year-round escapes or seasonal stays perfect for everything from summer vacations to fall leaf peeping, with plenty of opportunities for family togetherness-think swimming, kayaking, fishing, playing lawn games, or simply relaxing by the water. Here are my picks for the best lake resorts for your next family getaway.
Why you can trust these picks: Read FamilyVacationist's methodology for selecting and recommending vacation destinations and hotels.
If a pilgrimage to the National Baseball Hall of Fame is on your family vacation bucket list, combine your visit with a stay at The Otesaga Resort Hotel for a lovely lakeside getaway. Situated on the shores of Otsego Lake, the elegant lakefront hotel offers 132 guest rooms and suites and earns well-deserved raves for its location and service. You can rent canoes, rowboats, kayaks, and paddleboards to ply the lake waters; cast a line to see what's biting (with the help of equipment provided by the resort); or enjoy water views while pedaling a bike or taking a jog along the lakeshore.
An outdoor heated pool beckons during the warmer months of the year, and the resort's Leatherstocking Golf Course has offered a scenic waterfront spot for golf vacations since the resort first opened in 1909. On-site restaurants offer dining experiences ranging from lakeside burgers to a clubby steakhouse.
Slow down and reconnect at The Inn at Stonecliffe. Located on car-free Mackinac Island, which sits in Lake Huron, and open from late-April through October, this historic lakefront property recently underwent a major refresh and is a picture-perfect spot for making family memories. Book a suite in the resort's Summer House for space to spread out or one of the three private cottages for a truly special and stress-free family lake vacation.
Then get ready for fun on the resort's Straits Lawn, where lawn games and firepits sit at the ready and movie nights take place with sunset views that are just as compelling as what's on the screen. There's also a family-friendly pool and regular schedule of complimentary activities that includes pizza-making classes and kids craft sessions. When you're ready for more action, rent a bike to pedal around the island or take a complimentary carriage ride to the island's bustling downtown.
An ideal lake resort for families who like choices, Mill Falls Resort Collection at the Lake sits on New Hampshire's scenic Lake Winnipesaukee. It's actually four different lodging options in one, including a restored 19th-century linen mill and a rustically elegant Adirondack-style inn.
The all-season lakefront resort offers family-friendly amenities and activities like weekend campfires with s'mores, pontoon boat charters, lawn games, and bicycle and watercraft rentals. The resort's EKAL Activity Center is the place to go for yoga classes, guided tours, art classes, and other activities, and the different lodging sites have pools and/or fitness centers for guests. You can enjoy views of the water from several of the lake resort's restaurants or from the Outdoor Spa Deck at the on-site Cascade Spa.
Both a dude ranch and a lake resort in one, Flathead Lake Lodge has been welcoming guests since 1945. Families flock to this Montana resort for its scenic setting on the largest natural freshwater lake in the West and its range of all-inclusive activities that creates a much-appreciated summer camp vibe. Open May to October, the family-owned and -operated property encompasses almost 2,000 acres where you can enjoy the land and water in all kinds of fun ways.
On Flathead Lake, families can take sailing or wakeboarding lessons, enjoy a lake cruise, or paddle a canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard through the water. On land, activities include everything from horseback trail rides and mountain biking to guided hikes and flower cutting classes. The recently refreshed lakeside pool makes for a perfect place to cool off after a hard day's work or vacationing, and a new onsite bakery is the spot for coffee and a treat.
Family-run for more than 130 years, the pet-friendly Basin Harbor Lake Resort occupies a prime spot on Vermont's Lake Champlain. Travelers love the classic family vacation vibe found at the resort, which is open mid-May to mid-October. You can vacation in rustic chic style in one of the resort's 74 cottages (all of which are unique and date from the 1920s and '30s) or in one of the Guesthouses for a traditional guest room experience.
When it comes to amenities and activities, the list is long at this lakeside resort. Basin Harbor offers all kinds of ways to explore the lake, with kayak, canoe, and standup paddleboard rentals included in every guest's stay for 2025 and a new inflatable water feature adding extra excitement to a swim. Children's programming takes place seven days a week during the summer months, and a new summertime Kids Dinner Club is being added two nights a week that will give the grownups a night to themselves.
It's easy to see why guests have been checking in at The Sagamore Resort for 140 years. The historic property on Lake George in New York's Adirondack Mountains respects its history while keeping up with the luxuries expected by modern travelers. Family groups benefit from the range of lodging options, which include rooms in the original 1883 hotel, lodge rooms and suites, residential-style condos, and standalone houses.
The lake resort's Rec Center is pure kid heaven, an expansive indoor-outdoor play space housing everything from mini-golf and an indoor basketball court to video and table games and a horseshoe pit. During the warmer months of the year, you can book a waterskiing lesson on the lake, fish from the resort's dock, or splash into the zero-edge pool overlooking Lake George. The winter vacation season brings experiences like the annual Glacier Ice Bar weekends, where everything from the tables to the glasses are made of ice.
A perennial family-favorite getaway often heralded as one of the best all-inclusive family resorts in the country, Woodloch Resort sits along Lake Teedyuskung in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Family-owned and -operated for more than six decades, this lakefront resort offers 160 guest rooms, most of which feature lake views and can accommodate up to six people. Families who need even more room to spread out can book one of the multi-bedroom guest homes available onsite or at the resort's sister property, Woodloch Springs.
Family-focused amenities abound at Woodloch any time of year. During the summer, you can cool off at the lakeside beach (complete with a waterslide) or the indoor and outdoor pools. For those who'd rather get out on the water, options range from kayaks and paddleboards to bumper boats and waterskiing. When winter comes around, there's ice skating and snow tubing plus all kinds of any-season activities and events to keep the whole family well entertained. A stay at Woodloch Resort also includes a meal plan with two to three meals a day served in the main dining room.
Open late April through late October every year, family-owned and -operated Madden's on Gull Lake has been a much-loved lakeside vacation spot for traveling families for more than 90 years. Accommodations range from historic hotel units and cottages to multi-bedroom cabins and houses, and because the resort sits on a 1,000-acre peninsula and has more than two miles of lakeshore, water views are plentiful.
The kids will gravitate to amenities like the lake resort's four swimming pools, Gull Lake inflatable waterpark, wake surfing and water skiing school, and recreation center with pickleball courts, lawn bowling, shuffleboard, and croquet. Grownups will appreciate the tennis courts, on-site lakeside spa, multiple dining options, and four golf courses, including The Classic at Madden's, consistently ranked among Golf Digest's Top 100 Greatest Public Courses in America. And the whole family can spend time on the resort's three sandy beaches or rent bikes or watercraft to enjoy the outdoors.
For a luxury-meets-rustic escape, head to Big Cedar Lodge overlooking Table Rock Lake. The focus is on enjoying the Great Outdoors at the 4,600-acre Ozark Mountains resort, which was created by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. Accommodations include lodge rooms, cabins, cottages, and even glamping tents at Camp Long Creek.
This Midwest lakefront resort boasts multiple restaurants, a spa, and golf courses. Two marinas make it easy